Smithsonian Trees of North America

W. John Kress is Distinguished Scientist and Curator Emeritus at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, where he served as Curator of Botany. His research has taken him to over forty-five countries to study the evolution and ecology of tropical plants. He developed the Leafsnap plant identification app and helped to develop the tool for DNA barcoding of plants. He lives in Dorset, VT. Lonnie G. Bunch III is the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. He lives in the District of Columbia. Margaret D. Lowman is executive director of TREE Foundation and a National Geographic Explorer. Her books include The Arbornaut: Discovering the Eighth Continent in the Trees above Us. She lives in Sarasota, FL.

“So well designed, so well written and organized, that anyone can benefit from it whether you have a passing interest in trees or an advanced degree in botany. This is an exceptional work, a book at the very top of its game.”—National Outdoor Book Awards2025 National Outdoor Book Awards (NOBA) winner, Design & Artistic Merit categoryReceived the 2025 Peter Raven Award, sponsored by the American Society of Plant Taxonomists“An essential guide for all who seek to know trees better. Beautiful, erudite, and welcoming, these pages invite us into friendship with the various personalities of trees and to understand the role of each tree species in life’s community.”—David George Haskell, award-winning author of Sounds Wild and Broken, The Songs of Trees, and The Forest Unseen“This is a beautifully crafted tome, encompassing the diversity of trees in North America. Superbly detailed photographs complement the text, making this a reference with substance, purpose, and inspiration for future generations.”—Michael A. Dirr, author of Dirr’s Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs and Manual of Woody Landscape Plants“This impressive, lavishly illustrated volume will be irresistible for those who love trees and want to know more about them. In particular, the ‘best in class’ color photos, including more than 300 spectacular two-page illustrated spreads, set this book apart.”—Peter Crane, author of Ginkgo: The Tree That Time Forgot“A beautifully illustrated guide to the commonest trees of the United States and Canada—a ‘must have’ for any nature lover who wants to expand their horizons!”—Peter H. Raven, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis“John Kress has brought trees within close reach of every reader with this magnificent book. The text and illustrations are sure to capture anyone’s sense of awe about the woody green giants with whom we share our planet.”—From the Foreword by Margaret D. Lowman, author of Life in the Treetops: Adventures of a Woman in Field Biology and The Arbornaut: A Life Discovering the Eighth Continent in the Trees above Us